In the early 1920s, Wilshire Blvd was an unpaved stretch of dirt road until developer A.W. Ross saw the potential for the area. His desire to create a shopping district to rival Downtown Los Angeles was focused on developing a neighborhood dedicated to automobile traffic, rather than pedestrian traffic. He ordered all engineering and signage along the boulevard to be best seen through a windshield – bolder simpler signage, longer larger scale buildings, and architectural ornament perceptible at 30 mph, rather than at walking speed.
This design was one of the earliest contributors to LA’s perception as a center of car culture. Today the Miracle Mile has retained its vitality with such attractions as Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), the Petersen Auto Museum, The La Brea Tar Pits, and many fantastic restaurant and shopping destinations. Wilshire Boulevard will also house the new Purple Metro Line that will extend from Downtown Los Angeles thru Mid-Wilshire to Beverly Hills and ending in Westwood and the VA Hospital.
At both ends of the above-referenced areas are two popular Shopping Malls. The Beverly Center, which was just remodeled in 2018, is host to many retail and restaurants and next to Cedars Sinai Medical Center. The Grove, on the East side of this community, is an outdoor mall and entertainment complex adjacent to the Original Farmers Market which originally opened in 1934. Another popular attraction is the CBS Television Studio on Beverly Blvd. in the Fairfax District, which is scheduled to be redeveloped for commercial use.